MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has inked a four-year partnership with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which will see the BBC Sport website provide in-depth coverage of all ICC Events until 2019 in the United Kingdom.
The relationship started with the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2016, which began in Bangladesh on 27 January, and will end with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which will be to be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board from 30 May to 15 July.
Between the two events, the ICC will host the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 (8 March-3 April), ICC Champions Trophy 2017 (1-19 June), ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 (4-27 August), ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 (12 January-4 February), ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (1 March-4 April) and the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2018 (2-25 November).
ICC finance and commercial affairs committee chairman Giles Clarke said, “The ICC is delighted to partner with BBC Sport in the United Kingdom, which is widely respected and followed due to its ability and resources to produce high-quality cricket content. As the United Kingdom will be host to three important ICC Events between 2017 and 2019, this deal confirms the ICC’s enthusiasm and commitment to take its events to all its fans irrespective of where they are in the United Kingdom and how they are following these tournaments.”
“I have no doubts that this partnership will take cricket coverage to a completely new level and will benefit both the ICC as well as the BBC with cricket being the ultimate winner,” he added.
The deal gives the BBC rights to show video clips (up to six minutes per hour of play), end of day round-ups, digital preview programming features and archive material in its territory. Video clips will be used to enhance the coverage of ICC events on all digital platforms, through mobile alerts and an enhanced live page.
BBC Sport director Barbara Slater added, “We’re very pleased to announce this new agreement with the ICC, which is all about free to air accessibility and bringing the best of cricket to as wide an audience as possible. There is a strong appetite among audiences for the sport and we’re looking forward to helping deliver them the best of the action from these major events through to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The online rights will complement our live radio commentary portfolio and popular online offering, giving audiences video of the best of the action wherever they are.”
